College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

Major Advisor:

Jerrold Belant

Background:

Matt earned his B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and a minor in Creative Writing from Clemson University in 2016. While at Clemson, he became interested in quantitative and population ecology with a particular focus on non-invasive methods to estimate carnivore populations. After completing his bachelor’s degree, he went on to study with a variety of species across the United States such as sea turtles, white-tailed deer, Greater sage-grouse, gray wolves, and mountain lions. In 2019, he continued his academic career at the University of Idaho under the supervision of Dr. David Ausband. His Master’s thesis work focused on testing novel approaches to estimate black bear populations in Idaho using remote cameras. Additionally, he developed new models to estimate the yearly huckleberry crop, a critical food source for Idaho’s black bears, to predict yearly fluctuations in black bear populations. Matt finished his M.S. thesis in 2022, and accepted a PhD position with Dr. Jerrold Belant shortly after. His work at MSU will focus on estimating gray wolf populations in the Upper Peninsula using remote cameras and snow track surveys and looking into other aspects of wolf movement and spatial ecology. In his free time, Matt enjoys hiking, fly-fishing, and reading and collecting books.